The invention relates to a storage network management server, a storage network managing method, a program for managing a storage network, and a storage network management system.
In conventional storage management, connecting relations between a host computer and storage apparatuses are grasped and paths as connecting paths to the storage apparatuses are managed on the basis of construction information of network apparatuses (for example, a switch and a router).
As a method whereby in a storage network, paths between the host computer and the storage apparatuses are managed on the basis of a port connecting relation among switches and a traffic situation of each path is managed, there is a method shown in US2004/0024870.
A method whereby not only the paths between the host computer and the storage apparatuses are managed but the paths between the storage apparatuses are also automatically selected in accordance with a policy of the user when data in one storage apparatus is remote-copied to another storage apparatus is shown in US2002/0143999.
In recent years, use of an IP (Internet Protocol) network as a storage network has advanced the network to be enlarged in scale and come a long distance. A managing technique of the IP network enables the management of information of the paths between the apparatuses such as routing information, the number of hops, and the like. To improve fault resistance, the network apparatuses are provided with a path control function of automatically switching from a path with a fault to another path, if any, which can avoid the fault.
In the management of the access paths to the storage apparatuses, in the case of an SAN (storage area network) of a small scale by direct connection or a fiber channel switch, the paths can be easily grasped from the connecting relation of the ports.
However, in an IP storage area network (hereinbelow, abbreviated to IP-SAN) using the IP network which can be realized in the large scale and the long distance, the network is complicated and there is such a problem that a load is heavy in the case of managing the path information of the network and the paths for the storage accesses altogether.
In the case where the path is automatically recovered by the path control function of the IP network when a fault occurs on the path between the host computer and the storage apparatus, there is a case where the access is recovered without switching the paths. However, hitherto, there is no means for recognizing such network information.